Quiet On Set: Where Is Brian Peck Today?

Television

This article contains discussions of sexual assault and child abuse.

Ever since the Investigation Discovery documentary "Quiet on Set" dropped on Max in mid-March, fans of classic Nickelodeon shows have been grappling with the fact that, on the set of shows like "All That," "The Amanda Show," and "Drake & Josh," child stars and crew members faced rampant abuse at the hands of those in charge. One of the most egregious perpetrators of abuse, dialogue coach and actor Brian Peck, was named by former child star Drake Bell as a sexual predator, with Bell identifying himself as the anonymous minor involved in Peck's arrest and subsequent conviction in 2003. So where is Peck today?

Even though Peck was convicted of crimes involving the sexual abuse of children, he continued working on projects that involved minors. After serving 16 months in jail for abusing Bell, Peck worked on the Disney Channel original series "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody" as a voiceover artist. According to a report in Variety, he didn't directly work with any young actors and was fired after the channel learned about his status as a sex offender, but this still raises an important question: why was a channel aimed at making entertainment for children, by children not double-checking to make sure they didn't hire any sex offenders?

Peck continued working in Hollywood on projects like "Anger Management" and, according to a report in TMZ from March, Peck was seen in Los Angeles after the documentary aired. His most recent IMDb credit came in 2019 as a researcher on the documentary "Making Apes: The Artists Who Changed Film."

People supported Brian Peck during his trial — and it deeply affected Drake Bell

Since appearing in "Quiet on Set" and sharing his story for the very first time, Drake Bell has been vocal about the horrible ordeal he suffered due to Peck — and he's also spoken out about people who supported Peck during his trial. Actors like Taran Killam, Will Friedle, Rider Strong, the late Alan Thicke, and James Marsden wrote letters praising Peck's character and championing him as a person. Understandably, Bell has some pretty strong feelings about the fact that some of his contemporaries went to bat for Peck, and he said he hasn't heard from them since "Quiet on Set" dropped.

"I haven't gotten an apology, or a sorry, from anybody that had written letters or was involved in supporting him at all," Bell told host Sarah Fraser on her eponymous podcast, before revealing that some of the people who defended Peck actually worked on "Drake & Josh." (Friedle and Strong addressed the situation on their podcast and apologized, but it's not clear if they personally spoke to Bell.)

"And I worked with these people every day, and I thought they were my friends," Bell continued. "They were people in positions of power, that they were my bosses. They were directors, they were producers. It was a situation where I thought I was surrounded by, I thought I was safe. I thought, OK, I thought I got rid of, the cancer has been carved out, we're better now. And I had no idea that for four years, I was working alongside people who had supported him, and probably in the back of their mind were thinking of me in a certain way, and I thought they were my friends."

Drake Bell also spoke about seeking professional help in the aftermath of his trauma

It's clear that Drake Bell has gone through some truly harrowing things — that no child anywhere should ever experience — so it's a relief to hear that he has sought help from therapists and worked with his family to move on. During the same conversation on Sarah Fraser's podcast, Bell revealed that he went to rehab after speaking to the "Quiet on Set" producers and sitting down for the full interview where he revealed Brian Peck's abuse. "I was going through so much in my personal life, and after that (initial) interview I ended up checking myself into rehab," Bell said.

Bell also clarified that he and his father Joe Bell — who also appears in "Quiet on Set" — decided that they should do the docuseries together, particularly because the entire family was so horribly affected by the abuse Bell suffered. "It had a really profound effect on my family and it's something that we've dealt with ever since it happened," Bell said.

"Even though I was battling with 'Oh my gosh, what am I doing telling my story? Should I be doing this?'" Drake said, before noting that his dad was quite affected by Peck's abuse ... and "Quiet on Set" offered them both the opportunity to fully open up and not suffer quietly anymore. "But also with that feeling of 'Wow, you know, it's all out there now. I can get it off my chest,'" he went on. "I felt that maybe that would be cathartic and beneficial for my dad to be able to do."

Nickeoldeon sets were rife with misconduct, according to Quiet on Set

As those who have watched "Quiet on Set" know all too well, Brian Peck — a child abuser and predator who was, alarmingly, close friends with convicted murderer John Wayne Gacy — may have perpetrated some of the most disgusting offenses, but he definitely wasn't alone. Another person who worked at Nickelodeon, Jason Handy, has also faced multiple charges regarding the sexual abuse of minors, including during his time at the network. A freelancer who worked with Nickelodeon was also revealed to be a registered sex offender after beginning work at the network and though he was subsequently fired, it's clear that he never should have been hired at all.

Mega-producer and disgraced figure Dan Schneider was also a frequent topic of discussion in "Quiet on Set," and though he wasn't named as a known sexual abuser, he certainly did craft on-screen scenarios for young actors that were disturbingly sexual in nature (the docuseries features clips of many, including one where a young Ariana Grande keeps trying to put her feet into her own mouth). Schneider "apologized" after the docuseries aired, but calling his apology insufficient would be kind. In any case, people like Schneider, Peck, and Handy never should have worked with children to begin with, and hopefully, they'll never be given the chance again.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).